Symmetry Operators and Gravity
High Energy Physics - Theory
2025-10-29 v2 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
Abstract
We argue that topological operators for continuous symmetries written in terms of currents need regularization, which effectively gives them a small but finite width. The regulated operator is a finite tension object which fluctuates. In the zero-width limit these fluctuations freeze, recovering the properties of a topological operator. When gravity is turned on, the zero-width limit becomes ill-defined, thereby prohibiting the existence of topological operators.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2411.08858,
title = {Symmetry Operators and Gravity},
author = {Ibrahima Bah and Patrick Jefferson and Konstantinos Roumpedakis and Thomas Waddleton},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.08858},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
8 pages including references. v2: Corrected typos and made minor clarifications to discussion